Missile gun



April 12, 1966 w. w. WATERS MISSILE GUN Filed April 23, 1963 United States Patent O 3,245,391 MISSILEl GUN Warren W. Waters, Rte. 3, Box 252, Shore Line Drive, near Wichita Falis, Tex. Filed Apr. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 274,994 7 Claims. (Cl. 124-7) This invention relates to improvements in missile guns,

and more particularly to missile guns for shooting pellets, such-as marbles, steel balls, stones and the like, as the present gun is not dependent upon creating `an air tight chamber to propel the missile therefrom.

. Various missile throwing devices have been proposed heretofore, lbut these, for the most part, did not lend themselves readily for use with a shoulder type gun and to accomplish the ejection of the missile, considerable mechanism was utilized.

The present invention is so constructed that it canbe operated very much in the manner of a breech loading shotgun, so a single Ipellet or missile may be directed therefrom, upon loading the gun and pulling the trigger. In this manner, uniform tension is always had on the spring, as distinguished from a torsion spring used to propel multiple missiles, as the spring would become weaker each time the missile was propelled from the gun.

The present device may be made in such size that the user is capablefof handling. That is, if' the gun is intended for use by a child, it can be frnade miniature in size, however, for use by an adult, the device may be of sucient size and have suicient spring tension to hurl a missile several hundred feet, with unusual accuracy and with -such force as to kill small game.

j An object of this invention is to provide a missile throwing device which provides amusement and sport, at a minimum cost for projectiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a missile throwing device which has a minimum of working parts, and which iseasy to operate, low in the cost of manufacture, and positive in action.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a missile throwing device which is relatively free from noise and which is an eective hunting device.

A'still further object of the invention is to provide a missile throwing device that is adapted to .be used by both adults and children, either as a toy, or for a useful purpose.

. With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 i-s a substantial medial, longitudinal, sectional view through the device, with parts broken away and with parts shortened and parts shown in section to more clearly bring out the details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view of a portion of the operating mechanism, with parts broken away to -show details of construction and with alternate views of mechanism shown in dashed outline; l

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, to show the pivotal connection between the spring retaining chamber and the parti-cylindrical housing;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the invention being shown, with the -breech in broken position for loading and for resetting the spring mechanism; and

ICC

FIG..6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG.-

3 looking in the :direction indicated by the arrows.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the stock of a gun ormissile throwing device which has a pair of side plates 22 and 23 or particylindrical members secured thereto to form a particylindrical chamber 2. The side plates 22 and 23 eX- tend forwardly of the parti-cylindrical chamber 2 and are pivotally connected, -by pivot pin 6, to a housing which for-ms a spring chamber 8. The spring chamber S has a barrel 10 secured thereto and movable therewith.

An axle 12 passes axially through parti-cylindrical chamber 2, which axle has an arm 14 secured thereto and rotatable therewith. The outer end of the arm has a concave portion 16 thereon to receive a missile 18 to be hurled. The 'arm 14 with the concave portion 16 is movable from the-position shown in full outline to that shown in dashed outline in FIGS. l and 3. l

The gun is loaded through a hole 20 Vformed in the side plate 22 adjacent the concave portion 1,6 when the arm 14 is held in cockedposition. The arm A14 has an opstanding keeper 15 which receives a detent V24, which detent is pivoted on a pin 26 which passes transversely through the upper portion of the parti-cylindrical chamber 2. A backup bar 28 passes transversely through the parti-cylindrical chamber 2 parallel to the axis of pin 26 and has a compression spring 30 interposed between the bar 23 and Vthe adjacent side of detent 24 t0 urge the detent 24 into engaged relation with keeper 15. The keeper 15 and detent 24 hold the arm in position as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3 in full outline. A cord 32 surrounds the drum 13, which is part lof the axle 12, which cord extends outward over a guide sheave 34 and attaches to a tension spring 36' in spring chamber 8, which spring is anchored at 38.' Tension is sustained on cord 32, which in turn 'sustains torsion on drum 13 to move the arm 14 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 3 upon the release of ar-m 14.

A member 40 is pivotally connected to detent 24 and extends to and is pivotally connected to trigger 42, which trigger is pivoted on pivot pin 44 within stock 1. A spring 46 urges the trigger towards parti-cylindrical chamber 2, as will best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A second cord 43 surround-s drum 13 in the opposite direction to cord 32, which cord is Vanchored to the lower portion of barrel 10 by a screw 50, so upon breeching the gun or missile throwing device, the tension on Ycord 48 will rotate drum 13 and arm 14 from the position shown in dashed `outline in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the position shown in full outline in these same figures, which will cause the cord 32 being wound on drum 13 to apply a tension on spring 36. In so doing, the upstanding keeper 15, which has a sloping edge adjacent to detent 24, will move the detent into position to latch beneath the shoulder of the keeper 15 to hold the arm 14 vin a cocked position until it is desired to release the arm 14 by pulling trigger 42.

Upon breeching the gun as indicated in FIG. 5, the. cord 48 simultaneously moves the arm 14 from the dashed outiine position in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the full outline position, and while the gun is breeched, as shown in FIG. 5,the hole 20 in side plate 22 is open to receive a missile such as a marble, steel ball or a stone therethrough into concave portion 16 of arm 14. A spring 52 is positioned within the parti-cylindrical chamber 2 immediately below the hole 20 within side plate 22 so that the missile will be held substantially in the concave portion 16 fof arm 14 until the trigger is released. Upon loading the device with a missile 18, the gun is moved j from the position shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FiGS. l and 3, and the movable plate 54, which is secured to and moved with the spring chamber 8, will move from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the dashed outline position (shown in phantom) in FIGS. 1 and 3. When the gun is closed, as shown in FlGS. 1 and 3, a swing bolt 56 may 4be moved from the position indicated in dashed outline in FIG. 3 to that indicated in full outline, which will hold the barrel in position. The swing bolt 55 also serves as a rear sight for the gun or missile throwing device.

An elastomer abutment 58 is secured to the lower side of the barrel on the end adjacent parti-cylindrical chamber 2, which elastomer abutment is within the path of arm 14, when the arm 14 moves from the full outline position to the dashed outline position as shown in FIGS. l and 3. Upon pulling the trigger 42, the detent 24V disengages from keeper 15, which will permit the arm 14 to be rotated through an arc of more than 270 degrees, which will strike with an impact against the elastomer abutment 58 so that the missile 18 will be propelled outward through the distal end of barrel 10.

The missile throwing device is to take the form of a gun that is shot from the shoulder to enable sighting and handling in the same manner; however, it is so designed and constructed as to enablev the device to be mass produced at a very lowv price. The barrel 10 consists of a piece'of tubular pipe, which is modified near the breech to receive an elastomer abutment 58 on a lug 11. The lug 11 also receives an anchor screw 50 therethrough, the purpose of which has been explained hereinbefore. The spring chamber 8 is secured to the barrel 1) by bands 9 passing therearound and around barrel 10. The. spring chamber is modified at its distal end to have a lug 5 thereon to receive a pivot pin 6 therethrough so as to interengage the complementary lugs 5a on the adjacent portion of parti-cylindricalchamberZl The parti-cylindrical chamber 2 may be made of die-cast metal portions or molded plastic to form somewhat of an annular passage 3, lso as to maintain the missile 18 in guided relation until the arm 14 strikes the elastomer abutment 58, whereupon the missile 18 continues to move outward through barrel 10.

While the missile 18 has been shown to be spherical in shape, the particular advantage of the instant device is that missiles of irregular shapes can be substituted for spherical missiles, which missiles will be discharged from the missile throwing device with amazing accuracy.

To aid in assembling, the side plates 22 and 23 have been shown divided medially and the stock 1 of the gun attached thereto, as will best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The side plates 22 and 23 are shown connected together by screws 25 so as to form a complementary parti-cylindrical chamber 2, which is somewhat modified to form an annular portion for the arm 14 to swing therearound in unobstructed movement. The detent 24 is shown connected to the trigger 42 by a member 46, which may be a bar or cable, which member passes outward through a side of parti-cylindrical chamber 2 so as to not obstruct the movement of arm 14 carrying the missile 18.

In addition to the utility of using the breeching of the gun to load and cock the missile throwing arm 14, it presents a novelty to children as it simulates the movements used in loading a breeck loading shotgun or rifle.

Having thus clearly shown and described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A gun for hurling a missile, comprising:

(a) a stock,

(b) a pair of parti-cylindrical members, which form a chamber, attached to said stock,

(l) one of said parti-cylindrical members having an opening formed in a side thereof,

(c) a barrel mounted on said parti-cylindrical members,

( 1) a spring receiving housing forming a chamber secured to said barrel,

(d) pivot means pivotally connecting said parti-cylindrical members to said Vbarrel and said spring receiving housing,

(e) a spring mounted in said spring receiving hous- (1) means attachably connecting said spring to said spring receiving housing at the distal end of said spring receiving housing,

(t) an axle mounted axially of said parti-cylindrical members for rotation therein,

(1) a first tensile member connected, at one end thereof, to said axle and windable therearound,

(2) the other end of said first tensile member eing operatively secured to said spring,

(g) an arm mounted on said axle for swinging movement within the chamber formed by said parti-cylindrical members, said arm having a concave recess formed in the distal end thereof to register with the bore in said barrel when in one position,

(h) a keeper mounted on a side of said arm,

(i) a detent means mounted on said parti-cylindrical members forming said chamber and being engageable with said keeper when said arm is in a second position,

(j) a second tensile member,

(l) an end of said second tensile member being connected to saidaxle and wound therearound in a direction opposite the winding of said first tensile member,

(2) anchor means on said barrel a spaced distance from said pivot point of said barrel and from said spring receiving housing,

(3) the other end of said second tensile member being connected to said anchor means,

(4) one of said tensile members being loosened upon the other of asid tensile members being tightened,

(i) said tensile members having relative slack therebetween,

(k) means holding said barrel and said parti-cylindrical members, which form said chamber, in fixed relation when said barrel is in one position,

(l) means in said chamber, formed by said particylindrical members, to retain a missile within saidi concave recess in said arm,

(ni) means closing said opening in said parti-cylindrical member upon moving said barrel to one position relative to said parti-cylindrical member,

(n) a trigger,

(l) interconnecting means lbetween said detent means and said trigger, to selectively release said detent ymeans from said keeper, by movement of said trigger, and

(o) bumper means on said barrel adjacent said particylindrical members,

(1) said parti-cylindrical members each being complementally notched for a discharge opening adjacent to and complementary with the. bore of said barrel,

(2) the distal end of said arm being adapted to swing into abutting relation with said bumper upon release of said detent means from said keeper to discharge a missile into the bore of said barrel.

2. A gun for hurling a missile, as defined in claim 1;

wherein (a) said parti-cylindrical members, which form a chamber, are divided along a medial plane passing perpendicularly through the axis of said shaft.

3. A gun for hurling a missile, as defined in claim 1;

wherein (a) said axle mounted axially of said parti-cylindricalk members is enlarged to form a winding drum.

4. A gun for hurling a missile, as dened in claim 1; wherein (a) said spring is a tension spring. 5. A gun for hurling a missile, as defined in claim 4; wherein (a) said interconnecting means intermediate said trigger and said detent means, to release said arm under the influence of said tension spring, is a linkage means. 6. A gun for -hurling a missile, as deiined in claim 1; wherein (a) said opening formed in one said parti-cylindrical members and being an angulated opening for insertion of a missile therethrough,

(b) means holding a missile in said chamber while said arm is in one position. 7. A gun for hurling a missile, as defined in claim 1;

wherein 5 (a) said bumper means on said barrel is of elastomer material.v

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,726,649 12/ 1955 Horlick 124-26 2,830,568 4/1958 Lohr et al 124-7 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

15 W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GUN FOR HURLING A MISSILE, COMPRISING: (A) A STOCK, (B) A PAIR OF PART-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, WHICH FORM A CHAMBR, ATTACHED TO SAID STOCK, (1) ONE OF SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS HAVING AN OPENING FORMED IN A SIDE THEREOF, (C) A BARREL MOUNTED ON SAID PART-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, (1) A SPRING RECEIVING HOUSING FORMING A CHAMBER SECURED TO SAID BARREL, (D) PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS TO SAID BARREL AND SAID SPRING RECEIVING HOUSING, (E) A SPRING MOUNTED IN SAID SPRING RECEVING HOUSING, (1) MEANS ATTACHABLY CONNECTING SAID SPRING TO SAID SPRING RECEIVING HOUSING AT THE DISTAL END OF SAID SPRING RECEIVING HOUSING, (F) AN AXLE MOUNTED AXIALLY OF SAID PART-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS FOR ROTATION THEREIN, (1) A FIRST TENSILE MEMBER CONNECTED, AT ONE END THEREOF, TO SAID AXLE AND WINDABLE THEREAROUND, (2) THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST TENSILE MEMBER BEING OPERATIVELY SECURED TO SAID SPRING, (G) AN ARM MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT WITHIN THE CHAMBER FORMED BY SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, SAID ARM HAVING A CONCAVE RECESS FORMED IN THE DISTAL END THEREOF TO REGISTER WITH THE BORE IN SAID BARREL WHEN IN ONE POSITION, (H) A KEEPER MOUNTED ON A SIDE OF SAID ARM, (I) A DETENT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS FORMING SAID CHAMBER AND BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID KEEPER WHEN SAID ARM IS IN A SECOND POSITION, (J) A SECOND TENSILE MEMBER, (1) AN END OF SAID SECOND TENSILE MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID AXILE AND WOUND THEREAROUND IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE WINDING OF SAID FIRST TENSILE MEMBER, (2) ANCHOR MEANS ON SAID BARREL A SPACED DISTANCE FROM SAID PIVOT POINT OF SAID BARREL AND FROM SAID SPRING RECEIVING HOUSING, (3) THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND TENSILE MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID ANCHOR MEANS, (4) ONE OF SAID TENSILE MEMBERS BEING LOOSENED UPON THE OTHER OF SAID TENSILE MEMBERS BEING TIGHTENED, (I) SAID TENSILE MEMBERS HAVING RELATIVE SLACK THEREBETWEEN, (K) MEANS HOLDING SAID BARREL AND SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERSR, WHICH FORM SAID CHAMBER, IN FIXED RELATION WHEN SAID BARREL IS IN ONE POSITION, (1) MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER, FORMED BY SAID PARTICYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, TO RETAIN A MISSILE WITHIN SAID CONCAVE RECESS IN SAID ARM, (M) MEANS CLOSING SAID OPENING IN SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBER UPON MOVING SAID BARREL TO ONE POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, (N) A TRIGGER, (I) INTERCONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID DETENT MEANS AND SAID TRIGGER, TO SELECTIVELY RELEASE SAID DETENT MEANS FROM SAID KEEPER, BY MOVEMENT OF SAID TRIGGER, AND (O) BUMPER MEANS ON SAID BARREL ADJACENT SAID PARTICYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, (1) SAID PARTI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS EACH BEING COMPLEMENTALLY NOTCHES FOR DISCHARGE OPENING ADJACENT TO AND COMPLEMENTARY WITH THE BORE OF SAID BARREL, (2) THE DISTAL END OF SAID ARM BEING ADAPTED TO SWING INTO BUTTING RELATION WITH SAID BUMPER UPON RELEASE OF SAID DETENT MEANS FROM SAID KEEPER TO DISCHARGE A MISSILE INTO THE BORE OF SAID BARREL. 